ABOUT US
RyecroftDahlias-USA.com specializes in Ryecroft Dahlia varieties bred by Philip Godsmark of Great Britain. In the spring of 2003 I received from a friend in England five plants of a new variety named Ryecroft Jan. It has proved to be the best miniature dahlia I have ever grown.
In two short years it’s show record has been unique. From a few blue ribbons in 2003, it now stands as the #2 miniature formal decorative on the show bench. It has been very successful in all sections of the country not only winning blue ribbons but also going on to win higher awards. With its long blooming habit it’s simply THE miniature for most gardens.
I have been trying to acquire other Ryecroft Dahlia varieties with little success as export rules have become more stringent. This fall ,after contacting Philip, we both decided to go ahead and take the time and effort to clear the hurdles and start exporting Ryecroft varieties. Philip and I entered into an agreement that would allow me to be the exclusive distributor of Ryecroft dahlias in the US.
|
Cutting Plants as Shipped
|
|
|
|
The first shipment of pot tubers has arrived and is on the bench ready to set up for cuttings. For this year and possibly next year we will be offering plants only.
Philip has four new varieties to be released in 2007. These will be entered is several trial gardens this year for release in 2007. In addition they will be entered in open competition and seedling bench evaluation. Once pictures are available we will post them here on our web site. Please note that the classification we state is the classification in Great Britain. None of these varieties have been classified by the American Dahlia Society in the United States.
All Ryecroft varieties have several characteristics that are common. Great centers, high petal count and outstanding petal placement along with bright clear colors make them sure winners. The formal decorative and ball type dress right back to the stem. The semi cactus and cactus are as deep as they are wide. Stems are quite strong and hold the flower well.
Why Plants?
After several years of growing dahlia plants from cuttings rather that tubers, I was convinced that this was the way to grow my exhibition dahlias. This was not so surprising as our friends from across the “pond” grow plants almost exclusively. In addition the millions of Dutch dahlias available are grown from cuttings to produce the millions of tubers sold in this country every year. For a complete description of the advantages of growing dahlia plants please go to Kevin Larkin’s web site
www.cgdahlias.com. Here you will see the whole process.
A major problem with plants is the safe shipping of the tender plant. Kevin Larkin developed a unique system to safely ship the rooted cuttings. He has allowed me to use the same system.
|
Tubers Produced from
Cutting Plants
|
|
|
|
I have found that the plants from cuttings are easier to control and produce strong mature plants. In many cases the plant will produce blooms earlier that tuber plants of the same variety.The Ryecroft dahlia plants we ship are fully rooted and ready to go into a pot, or if warm enough, right into the garden. It is a good idea to harden off the plants for a few days in bright but not direct sun. Once planted in a pot or the garden water well until the plant is well developed.
There are concerns that plant cuttings will not produce tubers. Nothing could be further from the truth. For the last 2 years I have grown RYECROFT JAN from cutting plants only. The tuber production has been outstanding. (picture)
Purchasing cutting plants assures you of a well-rooted growing plant that will produce blooms earlier than tuber plants. These plants are free from virus and other pests.
If you have questions about Ryecroft Dahlias, please email us at: Steve@RyecroftDahlias-USA.com
